WASHINGTON, DC, OCTOBER 14, 2025 – Amidst the ongoing government shutdown and resulting expiration of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities and the Acute Hospital Care at Home Program, ATA Action, the advocacy arm of the American Telemedicine Association, is calling on Congress and the Administration to quickly enact a short-term solution to escalating disruptions in patient care.

“The expiration of Medicare telehealth flexibilities has an immediate and deeply concerning impact on patients and providers across the communities we serve,” said Sara Collins, Assistant Vice President, Professional Medical Affairs and Telehealth for Lifepoint Health, and a member of the ATA Policy Council. “Lifepoint hospitals and clinics operate in rural and underserved regions which depend on telehealth to connect patients with specialists, behavioral health providers, and hospital-level care that would otherwise be out of reach.”

Many commercial insurers take their cue from Medicare, aligning coverage and payment decisions with federal reimbursement policies. With the lapse of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities, there is growing uncertainty in the marketplace, and concern that commercial payers could soon follow suit if Congress and the Administration do not act quickly. The result is a climate of confusion and hesitation that threatens the continuity of care for millions of Americans. Most commercial payers continue to offer critical virtual care services to their beneficiaries unimpeded during this temporary lapse in Medicare telehealth flexibilities, an approach that prioritizes patient well-being and continuity of care.

“As expected, the lapse of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities and absence of clear federal policy is disrupting care and creating anxiety across the healthcare system, which is already impacting patients and providers. We’re hearing from many hospitals and healthcare systems that they are continuing to provide telehealth services to Medicare patients during the shutdown, hoping they will receive retroactive reimbursement once the government reopens. That’s a significant risk for these organizations,” said Kyle Zebley, executive director, ATA Action and senior vice president, public policy at the ATA. “We also commend the many commercial insurers that have continued telehealth coverage during this lapse, recognizing that patients depend on these services now more than ever.

“Still, as Medicare reimbursement goes, so often goes commercial coverage, forcing providers to make difficult choices about sustaining virtual care,” Zebley added. “The impact on healthcare delivery, and on patients’ well-being nationwide, is deeply concerning.”

“Telehealth is not a temporary fix; it’s the basis of modern healthcare,” Collins said. “We urge bipartisan collaboration to restore these vital flexibilities and safeguard access to care for the patients and communities who need it most.”

“While ATA Action continues to push for permanency, we urge Congress and the Administration to work together to enact a short-term solution to quickly restore the bipartisan Medicare telehealth flexibilities and the Acute Hospital Care at Home program during the government shutdown,” noted Zebley. “President Trump wisely passed these flexibilities in 2020, at the outset of the pandemic. The President and countless members of Congress, from both parties, have championed telehealth as an important part of a modernized healthcare delivery system, and for that we are grateful. Now is the time to, once again, set aside political differences and prioritize the health of Americans, including many of the most vulnerable, to ensure that patients have access to needed healthcare, where and when they need it.”

About ATA Action
ATA Action recognizes that telehealth and virtual care have the potential to transform the healthcare delivery system by improving patient outcomes, enhancing the safety and effectiveness of care, addressing health disparities, and reducing costs. ATA Action is a registered 501c6 entity and an affiliated trade organization of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).